nother. O
Lord, thou art very great, and highly exalted above all gods. In thy
hands are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is
thine also. I adore thee, O my God! I praise thee, O Jehovah! From my
youth the God of Israel has been my help. He has brought me through ways
I have not known. How terrible is his wrath toward those who rebel
against him! How great his love to all that fear him! He bringeth down
the proud look, and causeth his enemies to be ashamed. The scepters of
kings are broken in pieces. Jehovah is King of kings! Babylon, with all
her glory, shall become a desolation. Her lofty towers shall fall, her
walls shall be destroyed, her palaces shall become heaps of ruin, and her
idol temples shall be no more!"

Such were the meditations of Daniel, when his attention was called to a
rustling noise in the foliage, on his right, a short distance from the
spot on which he sat. He looked, and beheld the uncouth form of the
maniac king slowly approaching him. The sight affected the Hebrew's
heart. His eyes became moistened with tears. The punishment was just, he
knew; but in the history of that degraded monarch, he could find many
things to admire. In other days he had a heart that throbbed with kind
and warm emotions. Had he not in the main been kind to him and his three
companions? And, in the midst of envy and jealousy, had he not kept them,
foreigners as they were, in the highest offices in the gift of the
government? He had. And Daniel's heart throbbed with pity as he beheld
the brutish antics of one who was once so powerful and intelligent. The
king gradually approached the spot where Daniel sat, without observing
him, sometimes standing erect, other times running on all fours,
sometimes uttering incoherent expressions, other times bellowing like an
ox.

"God of my fathers," silently cried Daniel, "let this suffice! According
to thy promise restore the unhappy king to his reason, and let his
courtiers know that there is no God like unto thee."

By this time the maniac stood close by the side of his courtier, but as
yet he had not observed him.

"Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon!" cried Daniel, with a loud voice.

The maniac was startled, looked up to the face of the minister for a
moment, and cried, in loud accents, "Belteshazzar! Belteshazzar!" and, as
if greatly terrified, ran. He soon stopped and stood at a distance, with
his wild, flashing eyes steadfastly fixed on the form of the Ra